Automatic air-pump



R. GREGORY.

AUTOMATIC AIR PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.25. 1919.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E27/@refon- R. GREGORY.

AUTOMATIC AIR PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. 1919.

1,332,334. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

RALPH GREGORY, OF KANSAS CITY, MXSSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO OIL WELL RECLAMATON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO. XLLINOIS, A CORPORATION' OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC AIR-PUMP.

Application tiled September 25, 1919.

.To all ywha/n II? may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH GREGORY, acitizen of the United Sta-tes, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, and State of lidissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Ain Pumps, of which the following is a specifi cation, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof."

This invention relates to pumps for raising liquid by applying fluid under pressure, preferably air, to the surface of the liquid in a confined space causing the liquid to be displaced upwardly in a pipe, and has for an object the provision of means which shall operate automatically and can be placed in the well near the lower end of the uptake pipe.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which;-

Figure 1 is a side view of the device in place, the Well casing and portions of the connecting pipes being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section online Q-*Q of Fig. Lt, drawn to an enlarged scale, some of the piping being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a section on broken line 3 3 of Fig. 4:;

Fig. 4 is a section on line et-t of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3 to an enlarged'scale.

The invention is shown as embodied in a valve head 10 to which may be secured. as by a coupling 117 a pipe 19. forming a pump chamber and carrying at its bottom a strainer 13 and foot valve 1t of well known types. For supporting the body 10 in the well 100, a pipe 15 is shown as attached to its top as by a coupling 16. For discharge of oil a pipe. as 17, may be attached to valve head 10 as by a coupling` 18. shown as secured to the top thereof by bolts 19 taking into screw threaded openings in the metal of the body. If desired pipe 17 might be omitted and the oil be discharged upwardly' through pipe 15. For supply of fluid under pressure to operate the pump, a pipe, as 20, may be extended within pipe 15. and may be screwed into threads turned on the interior of a passage, as 21, within the valve head l0.

, Specification 0I" Letters Iatent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920i.

Serial No. 326,273.

The liquid which rises into pipe 12 by its own head in the bottom of the well is to be forced upwardly into uptake pipe 22 by air or other fluid under pressure introduced into the top of pipe 1Q intermittently. The uptake pipe 22 is shown as attached to the valve head 10 by being turned into a screw threaded passage 23 extending a short distance into the body, The passage is shown vas off center. To convey the oil upwardly Vfrom passage 23 an arcuate passage, as at 2l, may be produced from the top of the body downwardly into communication with passage 23. When so produced the upper end of passage 24 may be covered b v and will discharge into coupling 18.

When pumping an oil well with such apparatus it is important to cut off the pressure before the oil in pipe 12 sinks to the lower end of pipe 22, since the upward escape of, a gaseous substance, especially air.

"through the oil in the discharge pipe would take with it much of the more volatile constituentsof thefoil which is the most valuable portion.v

To control the supply and exhaust of Huid under pressure to operate the pump, a valve. as may be utilized, shown as seated and .reciprocable in a passage 26 in valve head l0. The valve is shown as formed with a reduced portion at 27 and when this portion of the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 3, opposite ports 28, opening into pressure passage 21. and 9.9 opening into passage 30. air will be admitted to the interior of pipe 12. Then portion 27 of the valve is shifted to stand opposite ports 31. opening into passage 30. and 32 opening into the well casing, the pressure wit'hin pipe 12 will be free to escape. The form of valve shown is well known as a balanced valve in that the passage of tiuid under pressure will not tend to move the reduced portion '27 in either direction. Preferably valve Iis provided with piston rings, as 33, to prevent leakage of fluid under pressure.

The valve 25 should operate perfectly under influence of gravity. However. it may be desirable. in order to prevent possible sticking` to provide a light spring. as 3ft. to insure its action. Spring 3l is show-.i as housed in passage 2G and confined therein by a screw plug, as 35. To permit the es* cape o'f any fluid under pressure that may become trapped above or below piston '2e small bleed openings, as 36, 37, are shown. When the air is applied to the surface of the oil in pipe 12 a certain pressure will be required to lift the oil in pipe 22 which pressure will increase as the oil in pipe 12 falls, due to unbaiancing of the columns of oil in the two pipes, 12 and 22. This increase of pressure is depended upon to operate the valve 25 just before the oil vin pipe 12 has fallen to the level of the lower end `of pipe 22. For this purpose a plunger as 38, preferably kprovided with a piston ring, as 39, is provided in passage 26 under valve 25 which plunger is secured to a rod, as 40, carried by a piston, as 41, preferably being provided with piston rings 42. A spring 43 is shown which is under initial tension so that the pressure which will start the oil to lift will not move piston 41 but the pressure which will result as the oil approaches its desired lowest level will move the p iston. To serve as a seat for piston 41 to confine it to its chamber 44, a bushing, as 45, may be screwed into the opening l of the chamber.

The yielding of the spring 43 will be in direct proportion to the pressure. rIhe influence of the pressure must so act on piston 41 as to move valve 25 from the inlet posi'- tion, shown in the drawings, to the exhaust position. However, moved merely by action ofplunger 3-8 the valve would move only so far as to close the inlet ports and the pump would become stalled.

' To rovide for moving the valve 25 after the in et ports are closed, a passage 46 is provided opening into passage 26,'as at 47, and into piston chamber 44, as at 48. The openings 47 and 48 arel so placed that the plston 41 will un'ver opening 48 slightly prior to the closing of port 29 by valve 25 and the lower end of Vvalve 25 will uncover open-ing 47 at the same time. Fluid under pressure will then gain access to passage 46 and will enter passage 26 under 4valve 25 and lift the same immediately to the upper limit of its movement. Preferaby a downward projection, as 49, is provided on plug 35 to serve as a stop for the valve.

In the upper position of the valve the iiuid under plressilrein pipe 12 will be free to ex-v haust rough passage 30 and ports 31 and 32. If it be desired to submerge valve head 10, a pipe, as 50, may be attached to port 32 and may lead upwardly above liquid level.

When the pressure in pipe 12 is relieved piston- 41 will at once return to its lowest osition under pressure of spring 43. If valve 25 were to at once return also, pressure would again vbe applied vto pipe 12 before the pipe could become refilled with liquid. To retard such return of valve 25, a bleed valve, as 51,' may be screwed into the mouth of passage 46. A form of bleed valve is shown comprising a valve casing 52, valve stem 53 of l pipe 20.

I claim as my invention:

1. A Huid pressure pump comprising, in combination, a valve head adapted to' be placed in a. well, a pump chamber connected therewith, an uptake pipe communicating with said chamber, means in the head to admit duid under pressure to the chamber and means in the head responsive to pressure due to difference in liquid level in chamber and uptake pipe to cause said pressure to be exhausted.

2. A fluid pressure pump comprising, in combination, a valve head adapted to be placed in a well, a pump chamber connected therewith, an uptake pipecommunicating with said chamber, means in the head to admit fluid under pressure to the chamber, means in the head responsive to pressure due to difference in liquid level in chamber and uptake pipe to cause said pressure to be ex hausted, and means in the head to delay the return of the pressure admitting means.

Huid pressure pump comprising, in combmatiom a pump chamber, inlet and exhaust ports for actuating fluid communicating with said chamber, a valve controlled by pressure in said chamber controlling the inlet and exhaust of said fluid, means to cause quick actuation of said valve when a critical pressure is reached in said chamber and means to delay closing of the exhaust port and reopening of the inlet port.

4. In a fluid pressure pump, in combination, a valve head adapted to be placed in a well casing, a liquid discharge pipe connected to the top of said head, a passage through said head communicating with said pipe, an

luptakepipe connected with the bottom of tion, communicating pump chamber and up-I take pipes, a valve for alternately applying fluid under pressure to and exhaustin fiuid under pressure from said pump cham er, a piston and plunger operated by pressure in said chamber for moving said valve, an opening uncovered by said piston at a pressure reached when the liquidlevelin said chamber is adjacent its bottom which opening is adapted to. admit fluid under. pressure to the lower end' of said valvel for quick actu-ation of the valve to exhaust position.

6. In a fluid' pressure pump, in combination, a valve head, a pump chamber axially concentric and connected therewith, an uptake pipe inclosed in said chamber eccentric therewith and connected to said head, an arcuate passage in said head communicating with said pipe, the cross sectional area ot' said passage being substantially equal to that of the pipe, a discharge pipe connected to said head and communicating with said passages, and means in said head for controlling action of said pump.

RALPH GREGORY. 

